The Little Things
by Libquedation
Summary: Margaret reminds Hal that it is the little things in life that matter the most. In honor of the series return.


**This short oneshot is in honor of the season premiere tonight, and I hope all of you like it! Drop me a review (: Disclaimer: I don't own Falling Skies, if I did, do you think I would be writing it? **

As Hal Mason walked through one of the less traveled hallways of John F. Kennedy High School, a vaguely familiar smell hit his nose. Furrowing his brow, Hal followed the smell into one of the smaller classrooms that rested in the corner of the building. It had windows along both walls, with the desks pushed against them. A couple of the windows were propped open, a soft breeze filtering through them, stirring some dust and long abandoned papers. The smell had intensified since Hal had entered the room, and his eyes immediately zeroed in on the cause.

Margaret.

She was sitting on one of the desks nearest an open window, peering out of it every so often, before turning back to what she was doing.

"Maggie?"

The blonde's head snapped up, her eyes wide as she realized she had been caught. "Hey, Hal." Almost sheepishly, she turned back towards the window, letting out a small sigh. Hal wrinkled his nose as a stronger breeze whipped through the room and the smell reached him once again.

"Are you painting your nails? Really?"

Margaret turned towards Hal and raised her eyebrow threateningly. "What's it to you?"

"There's no point to it." Hal pointed out, nodding towards the window. "It's going to be ruined in a day or two if we end up running into Skitters."

Margaret shrugged, then smirked. "Come sit over here, near the windows. You can't smell it as much if you do."

Hal sighed, before giving in and crossing the room, his footsteps the only sound on the linoleum floor. Carefully swinging his gun onto one desk, he sat down on another, kicking one of his feet. Margaret was right, the smell was lessened dramatically by the window.

After sitting in silence for a while, and Hal watching Margaret paint her nails a dark blue, he spoke again. "Why are you doing that?"

"Ever seen that movie Zombieland?"

Hal balked slightly at the seemingly random question. "Why does it matter?"

"Do you always answer questions with questions?"

Hal narrowed his eyes at Margaret, whose lips turned up in the corner, before she puckered her lips. "Answer the first question, Hal."

"Yes, I've seen it. Don't see how it has any correlation to your absurd nail painting."

Margaret let out a bark of laughter, blowing gently on her nails.

"You know how the kid Columbus had that list of rules to follow during the zombie apocalypse?"

"Yeah. So?"

Margaret rolled her eyes and blew on her nails some more. They were a very pretty color Hal realized. They matched who she was.

"Remember one of Columbus's rules? Enjoy the little things?" Hal raised his eyebrows, but nodded. Margaret carried on. "I take that rule to heart. After my brother died and I got cancer, I realized that there were some things that just needed to be appreciated more. I was awake for every sunrise, at the window for every sunset. I learned to appreciate good books even more, and I read light hearted, romantic books to just have some fluff in my life. Some goodness. I smiled when my dog barked. And now," She waved a hand towards the window, towards the sun, which was reaching the tops of the skyline, illuminating the Skitter ship, standing amongst the skyscrapers. "I've come to appreciate a long, hot shower. A comfortable bed with blankets. Enough ammo. A hot, tasty meal. And now, newfound nail polish." Margaret finished, looking proudly at her nails. Hal noticed how her lips were lifted at the corner, on their own.

"I wish I had that attitude." he said with a sigh, looking at the silhouetted Skitter ship, his thoughts on his father, emotions conflicting within him. They were all over his face though, and Margaret read him like one of her books.

"Don't be mad at your father. He did what any father trying to protect their kids would do. Try and find out about the harness through the easiest way. Sacrificing himself."

Hal sighed, his hands clenching into fists. They curled on his knees, and he looked out the window again. Margaret's lips turned downward. She reached over and promptly drew a line across Hal's cheek with the nail polish. He recoiled in shock, wiping at his face, before connecting the dots about what she put on his face.

"Maggie! What was that for?"

"To make you remember to enjoy the little things." She said, giving him a pointed look. Hal rolled his eyes, before reaching over and tackling Margaret, who gave a squeal totally unlike herself as they fell backwards off the desks and onto the floor. They rolled around for a bit, before Margaret discovered Hal had a ticklish spot. The boy Fighter started giggling and yelping, swatting at Margaret's hands as they roamed all over his sides. Somehow, he found a ticklish spot on her knee, and she instantly began scooting backwards along the floor, Hal following her, until he had her pinned against the floor.

"Now, let's see if there are any more ticklish spots." He softly said to her, before attacking her sides.

"No, no, Hal! Stop!" Margaret cried between giggles, trying and failing to wiggle out of Hal's grasp. He finally relented, and grinned down at her, while she glared up at him.

"You're dead."

"You look better when you smile compared to when you glare, anyone tell you that before?"

"You're such a pain in the ass, anyone ever tell you that before?"

"All the freaking time." Hal said with another grin that Margaret found she just had to return, a softer, more unsure smile, causing Hal to break out in an even wider smile. "There's that smile." Almost automatically, he leaned forwards and nudged her nose with his own. Margaret leaned into it, before pulling away. It was at that moment that the two realized just how close they were on the floor, how their bodies were pressing against each other, how close their faces were. Almost instantly, they both recoiled, Hal jumping up and sitting against the wall, Margaret following, leaning against the wall catty-corner to Hal's.

They sat like that for a while, their thoughts wandering.

"The sunset." Hal said suddenly, looking up towards the windows. The sky had changed from blue and yellow to a darker orange and pink. The pair of Fighters jumped up and walked over to the open windows. Margaret sighed as she watched the sun sink below the skyline, the colors changing. Another breeze pushed her hair off of her face, and Hal smiled.

"You were right you know." He said after the sunset dimmed, the explosive colors fading away to twilight. Margaret turned to him, her eyebrows raised. Hal smiled again, his fingers brushing some of her hair back. Margaret smiled back.

"What was I right about now?"

"It really is about enjoying the little things."


End file.
